At the beginning of open world games, you welcome random encounters with any enemy. This is because they give you a chance to practice combat and earn some valuable XP. A couple of hours into the fight against random enemies for no real reason wears thin though.
The fights tend to get pretty repetitive and feel unimportant when you have bigger and better missions to complete. However, that is not the case in every open world title. Some games have actually found ways to make random encounters consistently fun. Here are some examples.
Yakuza Kiwami
The Yakuza (aka Like A Dragon) games are known for having random encounters. In every game, people keep attacking you as you walk around between missions. These battles aren't particularly noteworthy, but Yakuza Kiwami offers another form of random encounter. It's called Majima Everywhere.
With this feature, you will constantly be ambushed by the series icon, Goro Majima. You never know when or where this crazy person will show up, or if he'll be in disguise when he does. It's a silly but huge part of the game.
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Shadow of Mordor's random encounters revolve around the Nemesis system. This is a system where each enemy is part of a large hierarchy with low level bubbles at the bottom and big bosses at the top. Their rank can change based on their fights with you. If they kill you, they will be bumped up in levels.
So every time you randomly get ambushed by the enemy, the previous battle makes a ton of sense. It's even more special when that fight includes someone you've met before, because it adds an extra spice to the fight.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag resynched
In Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynched, you control a pirate in the golden age of piracy. As you'd expect, you can sail the seas in your own ship and battle any other ships you come across. This is where you will encounter some random encounters.
The other ships won't always be hostile, but you're a pirate, so you're still free to attack. You may also come across some ships fighting each other, allowing you to intervene and wipe them both out. It helps you feel like a true pirate. Additionally, it makes use of the game's naval combat mechanics, which are only a secondary focus of the main story.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon games have always had random encounters, but the titles haven't always been open world. One entry that is open in the world is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In this game, the random encounters are a little less random because you can see the Pokemon, instead of them hiding in the grass. The advantage of this is that it is easier to avoid battles that you don't really need to have.
The meetings themselves are not incredibly revolutionary. You simply battle wild Pokémon. But as with all games in the series, it's important to participate in these battles because that's how you catch more Pokemon. And since the series' tagline is “Gotta catch 'em all!”, building your collection for the adventure is essential. So, the importance of these meetings is what makes them incredible.
Fallout 2
You're rarely safe roaming the wasteland in any Fallout game, as there are always random encounters you might encounter. Fallout 2 has a very interesting collection of them.
Most people see you being attacked by groups of hostile people or animals. Still, there are also some special encounters that are a bit more interesting. For example, you can meet a metal man, people in old-fashioned knight armor, exploding cows or lots of other strange characters. These exciting encounters add much to the enjoyment of the overall adventure.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in the weird and wonderful world of Night City. There are plenty of people in this city, and there is often a lot going on. As you drive around the place, you can find some captivating events.
People can walk up and attack you, or cars can chase you down. Also, there are times when two factions fight each other, and you can act as an innocent witness or get involved and wipe them all out. It all really makes you feel like there is danger around every corner in Night City.
Battle Brothers
Battle Brothers is a tactical RPG set in a fantasy world, clearly inspired by the Middle Ages. As you roam the world map, you'll occasionally come across random events and encounters. There are so many different ones, and which ones you see depends in part on your character's background, origin, traits, and a few other things.
Some are simple, like a stupid breathing contest or a character taking an injury during training, but they can affect the status of your characters. There are also others that affect certain contracts you have, such as adding extra enemies. All these events give the game a little more style.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for having a very immersive open world where you can roam around. Part of what makes it feel like a living, breathing place is the abundance of random encounters you can experience as you explore.
You can find people with snakebites, friends who have escaped from prison, gang members threatening you, clan members setting themselves on fire and many more doing different things. The encounters are all quite short, but most of them are still very memorable.
The world of Skyrim is very large and filled with lots of things, including settlements, people and animals. What makes this place feel more alive are all the random encounters that can occur as you play.
There are so many different ones, from being mugged by a member of the Thieves' Guild to witnessing a vampire feed on a person. Of all of them, the one that perhaps stands out the most is when a huge dragon spawns and attacks you. This can make things very chaotic and dangerous in no time. Knowing it could happen also makes you a little more nervous while roaming.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 takes place in San Andreas, which includes Los Santos (a fictional version of Los Angeles) and the surrounding desert area. So it's a big place with a lot going on. Part of what happens is random encounters that you can come across and get involved with.
The most common ones involve you hunting down robbers, but there are more interesting events as well. For example, you can find a guy in his underwear tied to a post, and you have to help him get to his wedding on time. It's very comical, as are most of the encounters. Yet there are some violent ones too. This is not surprising as Grand Theft Auto is known for both humor and bloodshed, so you should expect the same from the random encounters.
